Category Archives: Journal

After a good, but a steady day Friday, including a trip to the wonderfully bustling ‘centro’ area of the city as there were a number of things people wanted, and also some stuff, once a place I was ‘barred’ from going to by people I stayed with when I first came to Cali as it was ‘far too dangerous’ for a ‘gringo’ to go to (!). It’s a place where I have quite a number of good friends now, who are traders, and some have found faith in Jesus as a result, and we’ve prayed for quite a few healings in Centro Commercial la Fortuna. Ian and Jeff loved it, too!

In the afternoon we had to head off to church, as we were in a place called Jamundi, about an hour south of Cali, but the traffic going to it is a nightmare!! But it was worth it, as we were at a wonderful – new to me – church, Centro Cristiana de Jamundi. Terrric pastor, Adolfo Vasquez, a good number of people there. Jeff and Ian both shared excellently if briefly, and what they said tied in nicely with what the Lord had given me to share. It was great to hook up with a long time friend, Francisc0 Leonid Riaños Manzano, who translated for us.

The message was well received (I’m told!) by the Pastor and the many there, and God just turned up in power. There were countless healings, a good number of miracles – including tumours, osteoarthritis, spinal issues, emotional problems, sight issues – I could go on!

To give you an idea of how God turned up, and people were transformed, the meeting began at 7 p.m. and we finally left the church after praying for the last person, at 0140 a.m.! An hour’s drive back meant a very late night, and praying for the number of people we each did, we were absolutely shattered. With two meetings over the weekend that I just knew God was going to blitz us in. Separate blog for those!

Prayer needs: Jeff keeps getting ‘hit’ with nose and throat issues which he could well do without. He’s loved seeing miracle after miracle happen, so has Ian: countless numbers to be truthful, as it doesn’t always happen like that every week in Virginia – or Northern Ireland! Tiredness is an issue, Ian seems to be doing ok thankfully, but I’ve been blitzed by chronic cellulitis, which is, I’ve discovered, quite disabling in it’s own right – so allied to knees, including the one wrecked back home by a doctor, it’s meant a severe mobility challenge which I’ve battled to defeat, and have so far. I’ve been seen by a lovely doctor, Gustavo Escobar, who’s also a pastor of a church I preached at 10 years ago, and he’s doing a grand job of starting to get this thing under control. I’m just not looking forward to getting the bill!! I got a course of antibiotics last week – 30 tablets – for a mere £100 in the ‘drogueria’….

We just want to see more and more of God move in this last week, as we return to the USA and UK next Monday. I’d live with my pain if I had to make a choice between that or seeing God blitz other people with the impossible. I’ve been involving a lot of people from the churches in praying with us for others after they themselves have been healed, which is one of my goals and dreams. It blows them away!!

It’s not often, I’d Cali, I’d give a header to a blog that says ‘cool’ where Cali is concerned – but then it’s all relative! Cool this week has only been around 32ºC in the afternoon (as opposed to the ‘often’ 38-39ºC!), and it’s 7.35 a.m. here as I write, and it’s a ‘paltry’ 22ºC!!! (An Irish summer’s day….?). I think God’s been kind weather-wise, cool-ish start. and no doubt ramping up as the next 2 weeks unfold. I don’t think it’s officially the rainy season anymore, but boy, have we had some thunderous downpours! They don’t last long, but they turn the roads into rivers in no time, soak you to the skin, and 15 minutes later you’re bone dry!

It’s been a good settling in time on three fronts – for Jeff, Ian, and for the new apartment. Some of you know that for much of the last 10 years, I’ve rented short-term rental apartments, which, as Cali is getting a new ‘image’ both appearance-wise, and socially, more and more people are coming here as tourists now, which wasn’t the situation 20 years or more ago: and consequently prices have rocketed upwards for renting apartments, and for hotels (not that I’ve ever stayed in one here!). For about a year I’ve been looking around – or, I should say, my great friend, Wilmar has been looking around! – for a good size, reasonable price ‘permanent’ apartment for me to bring teams to. It’s cheaper to rent long-term than it is to rent 3 or 4 times a year short-term now – and it means I don’t have shuffle my luggage backwards and forwards to Northern Ireland!

He found the perfect place! Next door to his, and Marlene’s, own apartment! So some of the week has been getting the apartment equipped, it was rented completely empty. I’m praying that some money I’m half expecting next week materialises, and can buy some more bits and pieces of furniture for it. Most importantly, the internet was installed on Friday! The apartment will comfortably sleep 6, which is usually the maximum number I like to bring here – 5 is more manageable and gives more scope for people to preach, pray, testify….. you name it.

Ian and Jeff have taken to Cali like ducks to water: they seem very ‘at home’ with the lovely people of this city. Outside of church, we’ve prayed with a lot of people – Jeff’s one to just go up to someone and ask to pray for them (good man!), and has seen God answer prayer on the streets -and, we pray, last night, a lovely little Down’s Syndrome girl, who mum was very happy to have her prayed for.

Because of the whole ‘settling in’ element of this week, Wilmar hasn’t organised too many meetings, especially as the primary reason for Jeff coming here was to have a mouth make-over(!) from my genius dentist friend Ana Lucia Arbelaez! Jeff saw her handiwork in Thanney’s and my mouths, and even in the first 3 days, he’s been transformed! From Tuesday to Friday, he was in the dentist’s chair for about 25 hours: 5 extractions, 15 root canal fillings, 27 million injections(!!) into his gums….still a lot to be done, but he looks a different man! If you want to see the transformation, here it is – and remember this is nowhere near finished, and the bottom picture is only temporary teeth! –

That ‘primary’ reason was, I think, God’s way of getting him here, as he’s prayed for lots of people, and that will increase a lot as the meetings mount up.

In the lovely church of Pastors Edwin and Edilma Suarez, we saw some amazing things happen. Their church is upstairs – and as the enemy is having a right old go at someone’s knees – and now, legs – it was a challenge! BUT miracles happened – including a wonderful one for a young lady, Nora. Prayed with her with Ian: she was in extreme pain in her back and neck, with compacted vertebrae at the top of her sine, and further down, a herniated disc. The doctors hadn’t been able to do anything other than prescribe painkillers, which in my own experience, with my knees, don’t really do anything however strong they are. As e we prayed for her, you could see the change – in her face, and skeletally. Se began to cry as the pain went, and, while we were praying, she started praying for us – especially my knees. When we ended, she stood up, and every scrap of pain had gone, and she had movement in her neck and back that she hadn’t had for a long time. Thank you, Lord!

She was followed by Carlos, a man in his late sixties we reckoned. He’d got a hospital appointment in 8 days (from last Thursday) which was the final appointment before having part of his foot amputated, with the most grotesque gangrene in his big and second toe. It was very painful, he said. As we began to pray for him, I knew, without a doubt, that God wanted me to hold his foot, including the toes: I have to be honest and say that I struggled with that and argued with God for a couple of minutes! But I had to, so I did. And the blackness immediately began to fade…. it was still discoloured when he put his sock on, but much lighter, and I’m believing that in a few days, when he goes to the hospital, it’ll be completely clear. I’ll do my best to find out!!

I could already fill a number of pages with testimonies of healings and miracles, but as this is the first blog I’ll leave it here. If you’ve been expecting to see blogs every day, my apologies: there are reasons why there haven’t been any, but I’ll be doing them every few days from now on.

As an itinerant minister, obviously I’m ‘at the mercy’ of churches who might want to invite me to visit them to preach, and – for me – pray for people to be healed through the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit’s power. Those of you who know me know that God very definitely put my heart in the world when He called me to this life nearly 40 years ago. I have countless opportunities to preach in other countries, from South America to Australia, and into Asia – especially to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and so on: and I DO get to preach in the UK, but it’s rare. I’ve never been one to ‘put my name about’ and try to get to big conferences etc., which get you invitations to churches, because right back at the start God told me not to. I’ve never sought ‘fame’ (and believe me, there are plenty in ministry who do: and many who seem to be in ‘competition’ and unafraid to put ‘down’ another minister in order to get an invitation). Some of you will remember a blog I wrote a couple of years ago about dear friend, now with Jesus, Ken McGreavy, a wonderful preacher who relatively few had heard of, as when God called him, he said ‘Ken, do you want prominence, or do you want significance?’ Ken wanted significance: I’d be the same. It was years before I finally ‘caved in’ and started this website/blog, simply because I don’t want to ‘advertise’: it’s why I just don’t feel comfortable with writing books (I’ve had one on my computer, finished, edited, and with a publishing deal for 20 years!) – there’s a plethora of books, many on same or similar subjects, saying the same or similar things.

I love preaching in the UK: in the past few years, God’s healed hundreds and hundreds of people, in all four home countries: I’d love there to be more. It seems a case of not what you do, or what God does through you, but who you know: and (I don’t mean this cynically) if you charge a fee, you ‘must’ be good. God told me in 1979 I was never to ask for money for ministry invitations, but to trust him. That does put pressure on you, and – I wonder – does it make people think you can’t have much of a ministry if you don’t charge? Jesus had definite thoughts about it in Matthew 10: 7-8 – ‘freely you have received, freely give’.

A couple of years ago, I posted something on Facebook, which I feel I should post here now (many who read the blog never go near Facebook!): this is it:

I’ve never had the liberty from God to REALLY promote what I do, how I live, charge preaching fees, and even charge expenses.Back in 1978, when God called me out of banking and into ministry, He said very clearly, ‘Trust me for your home, security, and income. You’re never to charge for what you do’. There are some days – periods – ‘seasons’ – when that is easier said than done!

It makes you open to be being from outrageously blessed to unbelievably disappointed! But Jesus said in Matthew 10, ‘Freely you have received, freely give’ – so who am I to argue with that?

I’ve been under pressure to produce books – books about healing (I’m still learning, but I suppose I have some things I can offer), books of testimonies of miracles and healings, books on faith for ordinary people (!), books of making mission and ministry accessible to ordinary people – stuff like that.

I DO have a book written, it’s been there for some years: it does have a publisher waiting, and it was edited was long-time friend Adrian Plass, so it has a reasonable chance of success (if Ade’s name is in big letters on the front, and mine’s very small!!). BUT – I would never sell any, I just can’t….

The purpose of this little post is to say that I LOVE preaching in the United Kingdom and Europe: and have an increasing desire to see the power of God ‘cut loose’ for normal people in their everyday lives: to let people know that they CAN do what Jesus did: but though my main passion is still third and developing world nations, I love to bring back to the UK and Europe what I see God doing in South America, Africa, India, and elsewhere. The very recent reports on what has happened – and is happening – in Londonderry in the past 6 weeks, are proof of that!

Overseas, I’ve always found that opportunities have come – for 30 years – by relationships and connections. I do, of course, have those in the UK and Europe, too, but perhaps because I don’t ‘try’ and get into conferences, or advertise, getting invitations seems to happen more when you’ve written books, and ‘plug’ them at every opportunity….

I’d love to preach more, pray for more people, release more people into ministry, across our countries, and across the continent of Europe. So, while not overtly advertising, if you ever want a Sunday meeting, a weekend, healing seminars, or just encouragement, let me know!

I don’t charge a fee (!) but if you could take up an offering, or want to give a gift from your church/group, I doubt that I’d turn it down! It is my income – salary – if you think about it. Travelling is expensive, whether in the air or on wheels (it can be around £300+ to fly from Belfast City to Heathrow return), but I can’t ‘charge’ cos, 40 years ago, God told me not to,….

If you have meetings you think I might ‘fit’, do let me know.

As those airfares have risen and risen, it’s of necessity started a thought process about moving: when I came to Northern Ireland in 2009, there was a lovely airline – British Midland – who flew Belfast City to Heathrow for about £60-70 round trip. Sadly, they succumbed to the credit crash and the pressure of British Airways (who wanted their landing slots at Heathrow), and British Midland ‘died’. I’ve just booked to go to Colombia (this coming Sunday): London to Cali round trip £770….. Belfast City to Heathrow ONE-WAY £330 (55-minute flight)!! Until these recent weeks, as I haven’t been able to walk since the hospital consultant wrecked my right knee, that fare is frequently twice a month, occasionally more!

So – while I love being involved around the world, I’d love to be more involved in the UK – and Scandinavia, which I adore! – and if God ever drops my name into your mind when planning your programme, then please get in touch! I’ve done lots of seminars, too, some on ‘one-off’ days, and some spread over a number of days – on Healing, and on Vision.

Lots of people tell me they’d love to do what I do: I understand why, because I love it. I went from only visiting Jersey by the time I was 17, and then camping in France and Germany in my twenties. I didn’t like foreign food, was horrified at the thought of eating some of the ‘smells’ from the foreign takeaway food shops – they’d never have passed my lips (as opposed to fish and chips!). I remember walking down Seaside, a street that runs parallel to Eastbourne seafront, and in the 70s was takeaway city! I worked there, and would often hold my nose as I went back to work at lunchtime, especially as I went past the Indian takeaways. I LOVE Indian food now, and pretty hot, too. And from never wanting to travel, God’s taken me to 111 countries, and many of them multiple times. I’m off to Colombia for the 97th time on Sunday!

I occasionally have a day when I want to chill out – and often end up making myself so mad, if sort of defeats the purpose! I’ve been travelling, as an itinerant missionary for just under 40 years, and I LOVE what I do, I have fallen ‘in love’ with just about country I’ve been to. Anyone who travels knows the joys, delights – and the horrors of immigration, sometimes worse than others.

It’s interesting – and this takes me back to the first sentence what makes me mad! – that in the last 10 years, there’s become a television ‘obsession’ with immigration and customs programmes. On any given day, you’ll find programmes about immigrating into Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, The U.K, Canada, and others I’ve missed out. I wonder why? From a frequent traveller’s point of view, I think it’s because the frequent ‘aggression’ and unpleasantness of many of the countries makes good ‘reality’ TV viewing.

Some of you – maybe lots, but there are a lot of new readers of the blog in recent years – will remember an absolutely horrendous situation I found myself in 9 years ago today with such unpleasant, aggressive, arrogant, ‘I’ve a got a uniform and gun’ immigration officers. It was through no fault of my own (tragically it was the problems some church leaders had with money, leaders who wanted to employ me)… I was over the moon as I flew into Philadelphia airport about 5 p.m. though pretty soon I could also see the hand of the enemy in it, trying to ‘set me up’. I’d been upgraded to business class, free, at Heathrow, so I was a happy bunny, and first off the plane: first into Philly immigration hall, plastered everywhere with posters stating ‘We are the face of America’. I really think Homeland Security should consider taking them down, as if most US immigration officers ARE the face of America, my advice is don’t visit America! Then, my temporary place of abode was the USA, so everything I had was in the house. All I had was used boxer shorts, clothes, and very little else! I’ve not been back to the USA since going on the ministry trip (England, Romania, Sweden) that I never returned home from. It’s a dreadful feeling, totally disorientating, and to be taken to the place by two armed immigration officers was awful, humiliating, and I’d done nothing wrong!

Philadelphia Airport

At the first desk, the officer retained my passport, which is disturbing and scary, and then I was ‘handed over’ to a bull-necked ‘gun and uniform’ officer, who was horrendously aggressive, rude, demeaning, – hostile would sum him up well!

There’s often a thought that with people like traffic wardens, traffic cops on speeding duty, are set daily targets for issuing tickets. I felt that evening in Philadelphia, that US immigration officers have targets for the number of people they ‘pull in’ and return to the country they came from. You’re not allowed to speak unless spoken to, can’t use a phone…. the interrogation was equally hostile – except that after about an hour of hostility, there was a change in the officer’s attitude. He told me that he thought they’d ‘over-reacted’ and got it wrong, and needed to talk to his boss. She was infinitely more hostile and ‘chip on the shoulder with a gun’ than my guy had been: she also made me feel very slim!! She flatly refused to reverse the decision – which is where I felt that they had a target! – and 5 hours after landing, I was back on the same plane, dirty clothes and all, on my way back to England! The ‘fight’ with United States customs and immigration took 5 years, and cost round $250,000!!

The difference between the Australian immigration, and the USA, and the Republic of Ireland are like chalk and cheese. The Aussies are – on TV, anyway, and I’ve been there about 15 times, so real life, too! – friendly, chatty, personable (though you can tell from questions that they’re acquiring lots of information!), same with New Zealand. Interestingly, there’s a guy in Dublin (better not mention his name, like with the American one!), who ‘provokes’ the incoming passengers, a real control freak who likes to tell passengers what he thinks they should do!

It’s all so very different now to when I began 40 years ago, and very different to 10 years ago. In the USA, you’re not allowed to crack jokes, or be facetious, or sarcastic – you’ll be arrested! So if you’re going to travel a lot, it’s worth chatting to someone who’s been where you’re going! So yes, travelling is great – IF you’re called to it. There is stress, there are battles, but as long as you know God’s called you – and it’s not just you wanting to do it! – you get past the battles, and the stress diminishes.

A word of explanation about the absence of blogs for some weeks! – It’s not that I’ve been lazy, but there’s an incredibly valid reason I’d really appreciate your prayers for.

You doubtless know (unless you’ve been in hibernation for 15 years!) that I’ve got bad knees. Osteoarthritis to be precise, which began when I fell over, 19 years ago, while running to cross a very wide road, on a red traffic light in Cali, Colombia, with a taxi coming at me at about 100 kmh! My right knee ‘popped’ – I did think ‘oh-oh’ as I wanted to scream with the pain, and then in true ‘male’ style, thought ‘I can walk that off’….. I didn’t walk it off, put more pressure on my left leg, that one became extremely painful too, and the rest is history!

I’m under the main orthopaedic hospital in Belfast, and about every 2 years, I’m summoned to see a Consultant, who as always, looks at the x-rays and says ‘Your knees are in a mess!’ (I don’t really need telling!), come back in 2 years…. I got my summons for 18 January this year (I don’t know if there’s any significance in the fact the 18th January is an anniversary day for me – this year the 18th was the 49th year since my last ever salary payment from the bank I used to work for: I’ve not ‘earned’ since that year God called me into full-time ministry).

Most of you who read here regularly know, too, that God has been teaching me to rest, which I’m still trying to learn. There were things in my diary – Colombia, Romania (twice), France (at that time), plus churches in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales.

Walking wasn’t easy because of pain, but I got around ok, even if slower than I’d prefer, people who travel with me, and go places with me, will tell you that walking wasn’t a major issue – apart from stairs! I saw the Ortho consultant on 18th Jan, but it wasn’t the ‘usual’ one, who’s been very nice, and has, when I’ve needed it, ‘upped’ the pain medication. This time it was a different man: also nice, but not one that filled you with confidence….

Having looked at the x-rays, and telling me I must be in a lot of pain, he then did something unreal… he took hold of my right foot (right knee is the worst one) on the palm of his hand, and his left-hand flat against the side of my right knee…. then he pulled my foot towards him and pushed my knee away from him. I didn’t scream but stifled my reaction. I told him if he planned to do that to my left leg, then he wouldn’t mind if I broke his nose, would he? The knee isn’t designed to go where he pushed it. For 4 days I couldn’t walk at all, I had to go to the kitchen (about 20 feet from my armchair) like a snake, on my stomach. Four months since then, I’ve been out of my house less than 20 times, and getting u and downstairs in this house is virtually impossible.

So there have been no blogs as I haven’t (not by choice!) done a great deal – I’m going to Colombia this coming Sunday, which will be an interesting exercise! I’m seeing my GP to talk about reporting the case to the local Health Trust, and also a Medical lawyer, as it’s evident that the doctor has wrecked my knee…..

….unless God heals my knees in Cali! I’m still believing that he can….!!

After Colombia, I’m going to try and keep up and running – Romania, Colombia with Thanney and others to start building another kids house, and in the rest of the year, other than UK bookings, France, Colombia (twice more), Australia, Romania again….

I’d really appreciate your prayers, if you feel you can fast for a day for the healing of these knees, I’d be delighted. I have no plans to stop doing what I’m doing: not unless God mkes it very clear! Bless you!!

Some years ago, someone said something to me that stunned me, left me speechless… and for me to be speechless is quite something! It was someone I knew very well, they’d been around church all their life, so ‘theoretically’ a Christian, early 50’s, involved in charismatic churches since the dawn of the charismatic renewal in the United Kingdom in the mid-70’s, involved with some of the leading figures in worship, prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues – you name it, it had been practised. Most people thought this person was such an ace Christian.

It goes to show that discernment is a sadly missing gift in the church. Some people had ‘seen through the sham’, but probably 90%+ hadn’t. It also shows that the enemy can imitate many – most – of the gifts of the Spirit (don’t forget he HAD been a leading angel in heaven), which is why discernment is such a vital gift. Many of the prophecies given by this person sounded very credible, accurate, as did words of knowledge. There’d been involvement in foreign mission, and many miracles and healings, many salvations, had been witnessed.

Then, one day, over a cup of tea, came that statement that stunned me. ‘I’m bored with salvation, I’m bored with miracles, and with healings, and I don’t want God in my life anymore’. I couldn’t believe it. Having seen the raw power of the Holy Spirit at work, I don’t believe it’s possible to ever make a statement like that. All I can conclude is that the person was never ‘saved’ in the first place. I wonder how many more people there are in our churches like that?

I know for myself that however frustrated – even angry – I’d get with God, for not doing what I want him to do when I want him to do it, I could never say I don’t want him in my life anymore….and to be bored with salvation – people finding light in darkness: bored with miracles – people being healed of cancer, etc., – I could NEVER turn my back and walk away.

The sad thing is that I know others who’ve done it – so it’s not as uncommon as you might think…..

“Many believers haven’t seen the devil or a demon in years. He doesn’t have to come around. You’re doing a perfect job ruining your own life. He taught you how to think and act, and you’ve run with it from there – with good intentions. You’re trying to live for God, but it’s you doing it in human strength rather than God living through you.” (Grace – The Power of the Gospel)

Andrew Wommack

This theme has bothered me for years, but increasingly recently, as I hear a large number of Christians saying there isn’t an enemy as he doesn’t bother them. The devil doesn’t bother you…. (if he doesn’t, you can probably consider yourself 100% ineffective as a Christian, and in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Why would Jesus have said, ‘In this world you WILL have trouble, but don’t be afraid, I’ve overcome the world’? John 16:33.

Why would Jesus tell of a shepherd who sleeps across the ate of the sheep pen to keep the predators out? Yes, you can argue he was actually talking about animals, but it was in the context of Jesus protecting us.

‘If you haven’t met the devil today, the chances are that you and he are walking in the same direction’. I think this was a quote from A W Tozer – when I used it in the early days of speaking at Youth with a Mission schools, one of the schools I went to regularly (the lovely school in Tema, Ghana), adopted it as their ‘motto’ – while there are occasions when I wish the enemy would ease off a bit, to be honest, the fact that he’s on my case is encouraging. The fact that he wants to assault me to try and stop me must mean I’m doing something that hacks him off, threatens him: I’d never want the devil NOT to bother with me because I don’t bother him…. It’s hard enough knowing there’s an enemy, fighting spiritually with him, let alone disregarding him and – by choice in that situation – choosing to walk in the same direction as him.

If the devil wasn’t ‘active’ in our world, why would the apostle Peter have referred to him prowling around like a roaring lion?: 1 Peter 5:8

…Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

Yes, of course I believe he was defeated by Jesus – both in the wilderness, and without doubt on the cross: Jesus disarmed him and took from him the keys of death and hell, but he didn’t terminate his effect, didn’t ‘kill’ him – and we see in the church today so much of his influence with the way the world is going driving into the church and neutering believers.

I know that over 40 years in ministry, I’ve been increasingly aware of his influence in so many churches, particularly in the western world.

Satan doesn’t have to make you evil, a bad person. All he has to do is make sure that you don’t anything good – TODAY. There’s another blog about how he influences people – we need to be so aware of his presence in our world, and in our churches…..

‘the enemy doesn’t bother those who don’t bother him’ is a phrase I often hear. One of the main attitudes why the church has shrunk numerically so much over the last 20 years.

Can anyone help, please? A friend in Romania is desperately trying to raise the money to pay for his son’s funeral. George was in a car crash (not his fault) 2 weeks ago, his back was broken, his spine was severed, and suffered brain damage. He was taken to Berlin for surgery, but tragically died, aged 27, on Thursday just passed. My friend had spent all his money on his treatment and constant trips to Berlin.

In Romania (George was back in Cluj, his home in Romania), hospitals will only keep a body 2 days: if you cant afford the funeral, the body is just thrown into a hospital fire. It happened to the mum of a friend a few weeks ago. The funeral cost is €5000: so far we’ve raised 2900 euros, 2100 needed by Tuesday. Can you help save this tragic end to George’s life: such a disgraceful way to treat a human being, and as you can imagine, the family are distraught.

Although Romania has been in the European Union since 2007, and full members of it since 2012, there are many things that are still way behind many of the other 27 countries. Part of the problem is corruption, but historically, poverty – under Communism and Ceaucescu – was so destructive. I’ve been going to Romania since just after it gained independence from its Communist, and much worse, Ceaucescu heritage – their revolution began on December 16, 1989, and ended with the ‘execution’ of Nicolae and Elena on Christmas Day that year. I was there with a team from the church I was then part of, with 6 trucks full of aid, on 4 February 1990. The poverty to us was simply unreal for a European country, only 1400 miles away from us in the UK. One of the problems for families was that they had very sick children because they couldn’t afford to take their kids to the doctor or the dentist. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the number of really sick kids (NOT orphanage kids – normal family kids) I knew, and, in many cases, still know. Everything medical is so expensive, even worse since their advent into the EU, as what had been priced in their currency (the Leu, or Lei) was recalculated to euro prices, even though they kept the lei (more to do with the EU than a Romanian decision, I think).

Some of you will remember a young lady in Romania, Ionela: she’s had the most unbelievable couple of years with extremely serious sickness – she was only 24 years old in November (I’ve known the family since 1991 in my early days in Romania, so I knew them before Ionela was born in 1993). Not only has she had constant illness, (she knows what’s going on, as she’s a genius, and is a trainee doctor, in her 5th year, but has had to give up because she’s been so ill, though I pray she’ll be able to go back to do her last year), but last autumn, her dad died with liver failure, and last Tuesday, her mum dropped dead having only shown signs of illness on Monday). Tragically, Ionela was unable to pay for the funeral (they’re ridiculously expensive, too, a real opportunity for the Orthodox Priests to line their pockets. So mum just – literally – was put in the fire at the hospital. Ionela couldn’t even afford to get to see her, as she lives (through study) in Bucharest, and her family home is in Moldova, 500 kms (each way) from Bucharest. Both parents were in their early 50’s when they died.

In less than 2 years, Ionela’s had breast cancer (a large tumour removed by a genius doctor and healed scar-less, I’m told(!) by God: peritonitis from a burst appendix; another brush with peritonitis when she had a gastric ulcer about to burst; massive ovarian cysts which resulted in a hysterectomy, followed by removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes – in fact, the full reproductive system; thyroid problems (still being dealt with with when I have enough money to help her with hospital costs): and now, chronic kidney issues with excruciating kidney stones. She’s bleeding profusely with every urination, spends a lot of her day in tears with the pain of the stones, even more with the pain of urination. The doctor has told her it’s severely damaging her kidney. She needs surgery – BUT – the procedure to remove the stones is 2,500 euros, about 10 times what Ionela earns in a year. She’s talking to me about selling her good kidney to pay for it, they would remove it in the same surgical procedure, which of course will put up the price of the surgery! Rock and a hard place? I think so. I’ve talked her away from selling her organs and told her that I’ll find the money somehow, somewhere. I’m limping and staggering around my house looking for things I can sell online to raise the 2,500 euros as quickly as possible (just over £2200). To give you an idea, the hysterectomy was about 15,000 euros (£13,300). She is trying to get some money owed to her – it was stolen from the hospital when she had to unexpectedly stay overnight for a general anaesthetic – suing the hospital as it was a staff member who stole it (thank you CCTV!!) – but twice now, she’s been to court, and discovered that the hospital director, her lawyer, AND the judge, have been working in cahoots, and they are ripping her off, the court case keeps getting put forward. It should have all been done and dusted on February 22: then this morning: now it’s May 24. She will win, but she’s fighting the corrupt legal system. A couple of hours ago, she had no money and no food: fortunately, I had a little in my account and was able to send her 100 euros to buy some food, and pay her heating and water bills.

In the same period of time that she’s had this ‘medical encyclopaedia’ of illness, she’s really growing as a Christian: it’s so good to talk to her on WhatsApp, or Skype, and pray with her. It’s so good to see her writing about prayer, asking Jesus for this or that, the enemy is doing all in his power to destroy this fledgeling Christian. He isn’t going to win!!

I spoke to Ionela an hour ago, she was in tears with pain (she can’t afford pain medication strong enough to touch the pain of the kidney stones): she desperately needs this surgery, and I’m just not in any financial position to help her. Can you? If you can, on her behalf, I’d be so grateful: needless to say, she’d be over the moon to be able to get into the hospital this week to remove the pain. The problem with the medical system there is this: you have to pay UP-FRONT for any treatment, so she can’t have the surgery and then pay for it: she has to pay for it first.

If you can help, you can send to Stewardship if you’re a British tax-payer – www.stewardship.org.uk – my account with them is Paul Bennison Healing Ministries Worldwide, number 20028331. If you don’t pay tax, you can send it to my bank – let me know and I’ll send you the details (having had my bank account hacked a couple of months ago, I’ve no intention of putting the details here!). There is also PayPal – all you need for that is my email address, (paul@paulbennison.com). Whatever I get for her, I can send it through my bank to hers, using the amazing ‘faster payment’ service, which can mean it’s in her account in a few minutes.

If you can help, can you let me know, please? And it would be helpful if you could let me know how much! As it rises, so will Ionela’s spirit! I’ll be so grateful to you for her: she has no other family apart from a sister who’d ‘relieve’ Ionela of any money she had for surgery (nice, huh?) and an uncle who is just aggressive and unhelpful. I feel a bit like a dad to her right now!

Seven weeks ago I saw a consultant orthopaedic surgeon just for an update check up on the knees… I was walking ok – though with a limp and in pain – until that day. TThe knees didn’t stop me. What the doctor did defies belief, and I’ve not really been able to walk since, some days I can’t walk at all, as a result of his meddling with my right knee totally unnecessarily 🙁

The cracking of the bones is fascinating (!), but what’s not so good is that they feel like someone’s heated a knife up to white-hot, and then driven it into the joints.

Last Friday, I had the very ‘interesting’ steroid injections into my knees – in the hope they might ease the pain (normally their effect is 6 weeks to 2/3 months) – last week, the effect was less than 12 hours! I’m writing to the local NHS Trust to complain, and seek compensation, as I’ve hardly left my house in 7 weeks, and some days, even walking the 20 feet to my kitchen is impossible!

I’d really value your prayers for wisdom: I still believe it’s in God’s plan for their healing, but I’m wondering if that plan includes surgery…. it’s a 2-year waiting list, which is really no good to me, or alternatively, I could go to France where the wait is less, or Colombia, where they could be operated on next week, but it’d cost about US$10,000 and they’d have both done, and me walking normally in less than 3 months.